CITY OF OAKLAND

AGENDA REPORT TO: ATTN: FROM: DATE: RE: Office of the City Manager Robert C. Bobb Police Department December ! "##" AN INFORMATIONAL REPORT FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE ON PROCEDURES AND PRECAUTIONS INVOLVING VEHICLE PURSUITS IN THE CITY OF OAKLAND.

SUMMARY Thi$ report o%tline$ the policy an& proce&%re$ for Department per$onnel regar&ing 'ehicle p%r$%it$ in the City of Oa(lan&. The$e proce&%re$ pro'i&e $pecific criteria an& &irection to Department per$onnel an& are inten&e& to re&%ce potential ha)ar&$ to the general p%blic an& to the officer$ engage& in p%r$%it$ from fleeing 'ehicle$. FISCAL IMPACT Thi$ i$ an informational report. BACKGROUND *n No'ember of +,,,! the Police Department! in concert -ith $taff from the City Attorney.$ Office! began a proce$$ to %p&ate the Department.$ emergency &ri'ing an& p%r$%it policy. At that time! officer$ co%l& engage in a 'ehicle p%r$%it for any offen$e incl%&ing minor traffic infraction$. The intention of the %p&ate -a$ to in$tit%te a /be$t practice$0 mo&el in thi$ area an& re&%ce the potential ci'il liability e1po$%reto of the City. A ne- policy -a$ a&opte& in April of "###. To en$%re imme&iate compliance! training -a$ con&%cte& -ith for all officer$! $%per'i$or$ an& comman& $taff regar&ing the change$ in proce&%re$. KEY ISSUES AND IMPACTS Pursuit Objectives and Priorities The p%rpo$e of all 'ehicle p%r$%it$ i$ /to $afely apprehen& 'iolator$ -hen they ref%$e to 'ol%ntarily comply -ith the la- -itho%t %nnece$$arily en&angering citi)en$! Department per$onnel an& property. The protection of h%man life $hall al-ay$ be the primary con$i&eration.0 +
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Oakland Police Department General Order J-4: Emergency Driving, Pursuit !ode "#, Pursuit $ntervention, % &a'ety (elt )egulations* )ev+ 1, -pr ..#, &ection $$+!+1

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The policy a&&itionally $tate$: /3hene'er officer$ p%r$%e an offen&er! they $hall contin%ally -eigh the ri$( of colli$ion again$t the gra'ity of the offen$e -hich prompte& the p%r$%it. 3hene'er the colli$ion ri$($ o%t-eigh the benefit$ of apprehen&ing the 'iolator! the p%r$%it $hall be aban&one&. Officers are NOT req ire! "# c#$"i$ e a$% & rs i".0 " General Pursuit Provisions The p%r$%it policy limit$ the initiation of 'ehicle p%r$%it$ to firearm4relate& mi$&emeanor$ an& felony 'iolation$. 5%per'i$or$ an& comman&er$ may a%thori)e p%r$%it$ for other 'iolation$. 5e'eral factor$ are %$e& to &etermine -hether to initiate an&6or allo- a p%r$%it to contin%e. They incl%&e: 7ra'ity of the offen$e an& nee& to apprehen& in relation to comm%nity $afety an& p%blic -elfare. 5afety of the p%blic in the area of the p%r$%it. 5afety of p%r$%ing officer8$9. Traffic an& roa& con&ition$. 5pee&$ in'ol'e&.

:pon the initiation of a p%r$%it! a $%per'i$or e$tabli$he$ $%per'i$ory control of the p%r$%it by imme&iately broa&ca$ting that they are monitoring the $it%ation. Among other &%tie$! the $%per'i$or en$%re$ that the proper n%mber of %nit$ are in'ol'e& in the p%r$%it! &etermine$ if the police helicopter i$ a'ailable an& $ho%l& be engage&! an& &eci&e$ if another agency 8C;P or other local la- enforcement agency9 $ho%l& be notifie& 8-hen it appear$ that the p%r$%it may be in or i$ hea&ing to-ar& another <%ri$&iction9. No more than t-o police %nit$ $ho%l& be in'ol'e& in the &irect p%r$%it. :nmar(e& 'ehicle$ an& police motorcycle$ are to relin=%i$h a 'ehicle p%r$%it %pon the arri'al of mar(e& %nit$. D%ring p%r$%it$! 7eneral Or&er >4? reg%lation$ $tate that officer$ $hall not &ri'e fa$ter than "# mile$ per ho%r o'er the po$te& $pee& limit! e1cept on free-ay$ or -ith $%per'i$ory or comman& appro'al. Termination of Pursuits :$ing the abo'ementione& factor$! either the p%r$%ing %nit8$9 or a $%per'i$ory or comman& officer may terminate a p%r$%it at any time. Each %nit i$ re$pon$ible for contin%ally a$$e$$ing -hether the $erio%$ne$$ of the allege& crime <%$tifie$ contin%ing the p%r$%it. The imme&iate
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i0id+, &ection $$+!+/

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apprehen$ion of a 'iolator i$ ne'er more important than the $afety of innocent per$on$ or the officer$ them$el'e$. The p%r$%it policy li$t$ a n%mber of circ%m$tance$ that re=%ire the imme&iate termination of p%r$%it$! incl%&ing: The &anger to the comm%nity create& by the p%r$%it o%t-eigh$ the nece$$ity of imme&iate apprehen$ion in relation$hip to the $erio%$ne$$ of the allege& crime. 3eather or traffic con&ition$ compare& to the nat%re of the %n&erlying crime $%b$tantially increa$e the &anger of p%r$%it. @engthy p%r$%it$. Pre$ence of pe&e$trian or 'ehic%lar traffic -hich nece$$itate$ fre=%ent mane%'ering of the police 'ehicle. Pre$ence of chil&ren going to an& from $chool. The offen&er can be i&entifie& an& apprehen$ion can occ%r at a later time.

Follow-U Process California 2ehicle Co&e A+?B#".+ re=%ire$ that e'ery local la- enforcement agency complete a report concerning a police p%r$%it an& for-ar& it to the California ;igh-ay Patrol. Therefore! follo-ing the termination of any p%r$%it! OPD.$ 7eneral Or&er >4? $tate$ that $%per'i$or$ $hall complete a P%r$%it Report form CForm No. +DE 8Re'. ?4,D9 OP* #?"F. The P%r$%it Report pro'i&e$ a &etaile& -ritten acco%nt of the p%r$%it. The report i$ re'ie-e& by the chain of comman& an& for-ar&e& to the Office of the Chief of Police. *f an in<%ry occ%r$ to any party a$ a re$%lt of a 'ehicle colli$ion &%ring a p%r$%it! if a P%r$%it *nter'ention Mane%'er -a$ %$e&! or at the &irection of the Chief of Police! the P%r$%it Report i$ for-ar&e& to the Departmental 5afety Coor&inator! -ith or&er$ to con'ene the Department 5afety Committee for a re'ie- of the circ%m$tance$ $%rro%n&ing the p%r$%it. The Committee &etermine$ if the p%r$%it -a$ in compliance -ith Department policy. The Department 5afety Committee i$ compri$e& of the follo-ing permanent member$: +. Comman&er! Per$onnel an& Training Di'i$ion 8Chair9 ". Department 5afety Coor&inator 8a$$igne& to Training 5ection9
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Oakland Police Department General Order G-4: Departmental &a'ety* )ev+ /4 -ug 1,#, and &pecial Order 4,1/, dated 11 2ar 11+

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. Traffic Di'i$ion A&mini$trati'e 5ergeant ?. Fleet Coor&inator G. City Attorney repre$entati'e 8non4'oting9 *n a&&ition! the Chief of Police appoint$ fo%r temporary member$ to the Department 5afety Committee on >an%ary +G an& >%ly +G! for $i14month term$. The temporary member$ con$i$t of one Captain! one @ie%tenant! one 5ergeant! an& one Officer. After it$ re'ie-! the 5afety Committee i$$%e$ a report an& fin&ing of /in compliance0 or /o%t of compliance0 -ith the Department.$ p%r$%it reg%lation$. The report i$ then for-ar&e& to the b%rea% comman&er of the officer8$9 in'ol'e& an& the Chief of Police. The fin&ing$ of the Committee can re$%lt in &i$ciplinary action again$t the in'ol'e& officer8$9 an&6or the $%per'i$or of the p%r$%it. Oa(lan& Police Department p%r$%it$ are al$o entere& into a Police P%r$%it Databa$e. Thi$ &ataba$e i$ a pro<ect of the *nternational A$$ociation of Chief$ of Police 8*ACP9. The &ataba$e allo-$ la- enforcement e1ec%ti'e$ to trac( in&i'i&%al officer$ for po$$ible tren&$! an& al$o compare p%r$%it information -ith other agencie$. 5ince >an%ary +! "##"! there ha'e been +GE 'ehicle p%r$%it$ in the City of Oa(lan&. Mo$t of the p%r$%it$ 8E"H9 la$te& three min%te$ or le$$. P%r$%it$ initiate& for a felony crime acco%nte& for ,+ or GDH of the total p%r$%it$. Police Department member$ terminate& "G p%r$%it$ &%e to p%blic $afety con$i&eration$. T-enty4$i1 or +BH of the p%r$%it$ -ere referre& to the Department 5afety Committee! three &%e to in<%rie$ that occ%rre& a$ a re$%lt of the p%r$%it. SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES Ec#$#'ic The Department.$ p%r$%it policy i$ $tr%ct%re& to $er'e a$ an effecti'e management $trategy to re&%ce or pre'ent the City.$ e1po$%re to inci&ent$ of ci'il liability an& litigation. E$(ir#$'e$"a) None note&. S#cia) Eq i"% 2ehicle p%r$%it$ are inherently &angero%$. They are %$e& to apprehen& 'iolator$ -ho ref%$e to comply -ith the la- an& po$e a &anger to Oa(lan& re$i&ent$. ;o-e'er! the Police Department.$

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p%r$%it reg%lation$ are &e$igne& to en$%re that no p%r$%it $hall contin%e at the e1pen$e of the $afety of by$tan&er$ an& re$pon&ing officer$.

SENIOR CITI*EN AND DISABILITY ACCESS There are no $enior citi)en or ADA i$$%e$ a$$ociate& -ith thi$ report. RECOMMENDATION Recommen& acceptance of the report. Re$pectf%lly $%bmitte&! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Richar& @. 3or& Chief of Police
Prepare& by: Dep%ty Chief Peter 3. D%nbar B%rea% of 5er'ice$

Attachment APPRO2ED AND FOR3ARDED TO T;E P:B@*C 5AFETJ COMM*TTEE:

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Office of the City Manager

Item: __________ Public Safety Committee December 3, 2002